Esa Lindell was born on born May 23, 1994 in Helsinki, Finland. A standout defenceman in his homeland, Lindell was selected by the Dallas Stars in the third round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Lindell made his North American debut for the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League and would spend the majority of the 2015-16 season with the club. In 73 games he scored 14 times and added 28 assists. His strong play was rewarded with his first NHL recall. He made his NHL debut on January 19, 2016 and would appear in four games for the Stars during the 2015-16 season.

On the international stage Lindell has represented Finland on multiple occasions including capturing gold at the 2014 World Junior Championship and silver at the 2016 World Championship.